The astounding amounts of rain that have fallen in Texas and Oklahoma during the past few weeks has led Lake Travis, one of the city of Austin's main reservoirs, to go from the poster child of drought to healthy reservoir in just several days.

As of May 26 at 9:45 a.m. CDT, the water level in Lake Travis was 655.52 high, up from 633.56 feet on May 19. That's a difference of nearly 22 feet. And going back further in time, to one month ago, the lake was at just 629.38 feet of water, which means it rose 26 feet over that period.

Lake Travis is expected to rise to 657 to 660 feet by Wednesday – that’s up more than 22 ft in the last week.

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), which oversees Lake Travis, forecasts that the lake level will rise to between 657 and 660 feet by Wednesday, as more water flows into it from upstream. On Monday, during the height of the heavy rain, the lake rose at a rate of about a half a foot per hour, LCRA said.

Lake Travis is part of a system of reservoirs that are designed to rise and fall with droughts. They take in water from the Colorado River in Texas, which is distinct from the more famous river that courses through the Grand Canyon.

The rapid rise of Lake Travis is especially noteworthy given that the lake had fallen to near record lows during a multiyear drought that effectively ended in the past few weeks.

In an Oct.8, 2014 photo, homes on the south side of Lake Travis use long and steep stairs to reach the water during a multiyear drought.

Image: Austin American-Statesman, Rodolfo Gonzalez/Associated Press

Six of the 10 lowest annual inflows of water into Lake Travis and another reservoir, Lake Buchanan, have occurred since 2008, according to LCRA data. The lowest was in 2011, when just 127,802 acre-feet of water flowed into the reservoirs.

While the rains will be beneficial for Texas' strained water supplies, they have been devastating for some. Raging floodwaters destroyed hundreds of homes in Wimberley, Texas, with eight confirmed deaths since the weekend began in both Texas and Oklahoma. This toll is expected to rise as authorities search for missing individuals.

More rain is in the forecast, particularly for north central Texas and Oklahoma, which may mean more flooding.

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